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<title>Alex &amp; Henry’s Story| How Couples Sleep| Cut by great_turkey_calamity</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29611680">Alex &amp; Henry’s Story| How Couples Sleep| Cut</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/great_turkey_calamity/pseuds/great_turkey_calamity'>great_turkey_calamity</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Red White &amp; Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alex is a kindergarten teacher, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, David is here for like two seconds and he’s chill, Fluff, Henry is a librarian, How Couples Sleep interview, Insomnia, Interview Fic, Literal Sleeping Together, M/M, Not Famous AU, Sleeping Together</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 05:40:29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,294</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29611680</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/great_turkey_calamity/pseuds/great_turkey_calamity</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Transcript of a Cut interview video featuring Alex and Henry as a married couple.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Alex Claremont-Diaz/Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>132</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Alex &amp; Henry’s Story| How Couples Sleep| Cut</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>After seeing all the wonderful interview fics being written as of late @loveonpurpose, I decided to give one of my own a try!! I’ve always loved the Cut interviews lmao. Happy reading!!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>[The video starts with ALEX and HENRY sitting together against a grey background. ALEX is wearing a pink polo, and HENRY is wearing a black jumper with a campy geometric pattern in primary colors. They are holding hands, and ALEX’s head is resting on HENRY’s shoulder.]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>INTERVIEWER, off camera: So, who’s the lighter sleeper? </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>[ALEX and HENRY make very similar faces of contemplation.]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>ALEX: I don’t know, honestly. We both sleep pretty lightly, to be honest.</p><p> </p><p>HENRY: It depends on who’s had a more strenuous day, in my opinion. If he comes home, and he’s just drained, he tends to sleep better than usual. He also sleeps heavier if he stays up later.</p><p> </p><p>ALEX: Yeah, that holds up. With you, it’s like a guessing game. You can sleep through a hurricane and a house fire, but the second I move or pull the blankets back, you’re all like, “What are you doing?”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>[HENRY laughs, and ALEX smiles.]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>HENRY: That’s very true. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>[Relaxing music plays on low volume, and the screen transitions to a title card. The background is a teal gradient from dark to light. In the middle of the screen, the light blue font reads in all capital letters, HOW COUPLES SLEEP TOGETHER. Below it, in bold reads, <b>ALEX + HENRY</b>. The title card wipes, and footage is shown of ALEX and HENRY’s bedroom. HENRY is laying on his stomach, with his leg hiked around ALEX’s waist and his head on ALEX’s chest. ALEX has a hand on HENRY’s back, the other hanging off the bed. Their dog, a beagle, rises up from the dog bed on the floor, and leaves the room through the partially cracked door. The sheets are wrapped every which way around the couple, and a fan can be heard blasting on high. The screen cuts back to the couple sitting in front of the camera.]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>ALEX: I’m Alex Claremont-Diaz-Fox.</p><p> </p><p>HENRY: And I’m his husband, Henry. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>[ALEX leans over, and pecks HENRY on the cheek. HENRY smiles.]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>INTERVIEWER, off camera: How long have you guys been together?</p><p> </p><p>ALEX: We’ve been together as a couple for three years, and last week was the six month anniversary of our wedding. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>HENRY: It feels like it’s been ages, though.</p><p> </p><p>ALEX, in a joking tone: You callin’ me old?</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>[ALEX starts giggling. HENRY furrows his brows, but it’s obvious that he’s trying to hide a smile.]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>HENRY: Stop it.</p><p> </p><p>ALEX: We’ll see.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>[Footage cuts to their bedroom. Their bed is made, throw pillows stacked artistically amongst ones made for sleeping. Their quilted duvet appears wrinkled and well-loved. Throws and weighted blankets are in a neat little pile atop the ottoman at the foot of their bed. HENRY makes his way into the room first, clad in flannel pajamas and holding a cup of tea. Their dog scampers in after him, but makes a detour for the dog bed on the floor, throwing itself down in a heap and rubbing its face against the plush fabric. Henry sets his mug down on the bedside table, and peels back the duvet. A timestamp in white texts reads 9:30 PM.]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>HENRY: We don’t really have a set time as to when we go to bed.</p><p> </p><p>ALEX: We usually just go to bed whenever we feel like it; could be six-thirty in the evening, could also be, like, one in the morning.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>[HENRY gives him a skeptical look.]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>HENRY: When was the last time I stayed up until one in the morning?</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>[ALEX snorts.]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>ALEX: Three weeks ago when you were watching The Crown. </p><p> </p><p>HENRY: They just came out with Diana’s season— I had to watch it!</p><p> </p><p>ALEX: God, you remind me of my abuela when you say shit like that.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>[HENRY gasps in mock offense. ALEX laughs and kisses HENRY right on the lips. The screen cuts back to the bedroom when ALEX is getting into bed. He is shirtless, wearing a pair of grey sweatpants, and a pair of mismatched socks, one yellow, one blue. HENRY is tucked under the blankets, all cozied up and reading a book. ALEX crawls into bed, and lays above the sheets, inching as close to HENRY as he can get. HENRY turns down the corner of the current page he’s reading, shuts the book, and scoots down, reaching out for Alex. He starts playing with his hair, and presses a kiss to his forehead. The timestamp now reads 10:15 PM.] </em>
</p><p> </p><p>INTERVIEWER, off screen: How well do you guys sleep? </p><p> </p><p><em>[The screen cuts back to the present. HENRY hums, and ALEX looks to him.]</em> </p><p> </p><p>ALEX: It’s about fifty-fifty. </p><p> </p><p>HENRY: I agree. </p><p> </p><p>ALEX: I have trouble sleeping the whole way through the night because I have insomnia.</p><p> </p><p>HENRY: And I was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome last year. </p><p> </p><p>INTERVIEWER, off screen: So you guys have a pretty rough relationship with sleep?</p><p> </p><p>ALEX: Yeah. Sometimes we’ll notice that we’re both up, and just, like, talk to each other.</p><p> </p><p>HENRY: It’s usually just a check-in, though. Making sure that nobody’s in distress or in need of anything. We rarely get eight hours, but the sleep we do get is usually sufficient enough to get through the next day.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>[Footage cuts to an undetermined time in the night. HENRY reaches out for ALEX, who’s staring at the ceiling. He turns to face HENRY when he feels a hand on his stomach, and pulls him closer. ALEX slips a hand under HENRY’s shirt, and rubs his back, whispering something the camera didn't quite pick up. HENRY tucks his face into ALEX’s neck, and murmurs a muffled, “I love you.” ALEX says it back, loud and clear.]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>INTERVIEWER, off screen: Do you guys cuddle?</p><p> </p><p>ALEX: God, yes.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>[HENRY lets out a surprised giggle. ALEX follows suit.]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>HENRY: We’re a very affectionate couple. Mutually clingy, and whatnot. </p><p> </p><p>ALEX, to HENRY: You have a hard time getting comfortable though, so I always let you toss and turn before we actually commit to our position. </p><p> </p><p>HENRY: I really do have the worst trouble with getting comfortable. I probably spend fifteen minutes just trying to find the good spot on the bed. </p><p> </p><p>ALEX: I’ve been thinking about just setting a timer at this point. </p><p> </p><p><br/>
<em>[The screen cuts back to the present. HENRY’s shoulders are shaking with laughter. ALEX has a silly grin on his face.]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>ALEX: So, to answer your question, yes, we love to cuddle. </p><p> </p><p>INTERVIEWER, off camera: Describe how you move together in a bed. </p><p> </p><p>HENRY: It’s a mess of limbs and sheets. We’re so bloody restless, all the time.</p><p> </p><p>ALEX: It reminds me of Tetris, honestly.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>[HENRY laughs.]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>HENRY: Tetris?</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>[Footage starts playing at 11:25 PM. They’re both laying on their right sides. ALEX has a hand on HENRY’s hip. The footage then cuts to 11:43. HENRY and ALEX are pulled flush against each other, arms wrapped around one another. At 12:05 AM, HENRY is spooning ALEX. At 12:17, HENRY is laying on top of ALEX, straddling the bed with the duvet ripped off and thrown on the floor. ALEX has one hand on HENRY’s lower back, his other arm folded up underneath his head. Their dog has draped itself over Henry’s back, and is snoring loudly. The footage cuts back to the present as ALEX begins to speak.]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>ALEX: Yeah! We’re, like, awkward, and there’s a lot of moving around, but we always end up fitting together in the best way we can.</p><p> </p><p>HENRY: I thought that was going to be dumb, but that was actually really cute.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>[ALEX laughs.]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>ALEX: I’ve been known to say charming things on occasion.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>[ALEX winks at HENRY. HENRY rolls his eyes playfully.]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>INTERVIEWER, off screen: What do you like best about being with a partner in bed? </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>[HENRY hums, footage cuts back to the couple in bed, ALEX rubbing HENRY’s back as he sleeps.]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>ALEX: What I like most about sharing a bed with Hen is probably the fact that I always know he’s there. </p><p> </p><p>HENRY: I was having some complicated family issues, and I had to spend good two to three months in Wales and help my ex sister-in-law with her baby. She was trying to find an apartment, move out of my brother’s place, and take care of my niece all at the same time. It was stressful for all of us, because Alex and I care for her so much and so deeply. He understood that it was a deeply personal event, and opted to stay in Brooklyn whilst I went to help her get settled down. It was even more stressful, because neither one of us were getting any sleep at all.</p><p> </p><p>ALEX: I remember the both of us just getting on FaceTime and getting all cranky and shouting about our problems. </p><p> </p><p>HENRY, to ALEX: Remember when you looked at me funny and I started crying?</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>[ALEX snickers, shaking his head.]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>ALEX: I do. I felt so bad about that.</p><p> </p><p>HENRY: I mean, it wasn’t your fault. I was running on maybe four hours of sleep, and you were running on over a day without.</p><p> </p><p>ALEX: Over twenty-six hours. That was a pretty rough week for me. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>[The footage cuts back to the present, and HENRY begins to list his reason, gesturing with his hands as he speaks.]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>HENRY: I like how safe it makes me feel. I wake up disoriented and in pain a great majority of the time. Having Alex there just reminds me that someone is in my life who loves me and can take care of me when I’m unwell. It’s just very comforting. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <em>[ALEX smiles at HENRY, who kisses the corner of his mouth.]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>INTERVIEWER, off screen: What do you hate about sleeping with each other?</p><p> </p><p>HENRY: I don’t particularly hate this, it’s just a difference in preference, but Alex always leaves the bloody fan on and nearly freezes me out every night. </p><p> </p><p>ALEX: I can’t help that I run warm, baby!</p><p> </p><p>HENRY: But you don’t have to put the fan on the highest setting and kick the sheets off the bed!</p><p>
  <em>[ALEX rolls his eyes playfully.]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>ALEX: I don’t like it when you turn on the lamp at, like, three in the morning and just sit there for five minutes and just stare into the void.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>[Footage cuts to HENRY at 2:56 PM. He sits up in bed, reaches over, and turns on the bedside lamp. His hair is a mess, and he has a bleary confused expression on his face. He lets out a soft sigh, and stares down at his hands, folded in his lap. ALEX reaches blindly for him, and ends up rubbing HENRY’s thigh, attempting to comfort him.]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>HENRY: Why does that bother you?</p><p> </p><p>ALEX: Because I don’t know why you’re doin’ it and it gives me the heebie jeebies. </p><p> </p><p>HENRY: I have the weirdest dreams, and sometimes I just have to interact with my surroundings and make sure I made it back to the right reality.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>[ALEX lets out a dry wheeze. HENRY swats him on the shoulder.]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>HENRY: Don't laugh at me!</p><p> </p><p>ALEX: I’m not laughing at you, that’s just the most outlandish damn thing I’ve ever heard you say.</p><p> </p><p>HENRY: It’s true, though.</p><p> </p><p>ALEX: I know it is, and it honestly makes a lot of sense, now that I’m thinking about it. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>[Footage cuts back to the present.]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>INTERVIEWER, off camera: Who snores?</p><p> </p><p>ALEX: Our dog, David.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>[HENRY chuckles.]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>HENRY: He's eight, so he’s an old man, and he’s got the world’s worst snoring problem.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>[Footage cuts to DAVID snoring. ALEX grunts. DAVID continues to snore. ALEX sits up, picks DAVID up, and sets him on the floor. DAVID moves to HENRY’s side of the bed and curls up there. ALEX groans. The footage cuts back to the present.]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>INTERVIEWER, off screen: How are you guys in the morning? </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>[Footage plays of ALEX’s phone alarm going off at 5:15 AM. HENRY whines pitifully, and ALEX shushes him as he scrambles to turn it off. ALEX lays back down after doing so, pulling HENRY closer and giving him a quick good morning peck.]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>ALEX: Well, I’m definitely more of a morning person. Kinda have to be when you’re a kindergarten teacher. </p><p> </p><p>HENRY: The library I work at doesn’t open until eight, so I don’t really have to get up until six-thirty. I don’t see how you do it.</p><p> </p><p>ALEX: I want to make sure I have enough time to get everything done before I leave the house at seven-twenty. Having the extra time for lesson planning or putting things in the grade book really helps. </p><p> </p><p>HENRY: We usually wake up together, though. I make him his coffee, and he makes me my tea, we watch the news, and then we catch up on whatever show we happen to be watching at the time.</p><p> </p><p>ALEX: Yeah, that’s, like, an ideal morning for the two of us.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>[Footage cuts back to the present.]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>INTERVIEWER, off screen: Do you guys have any feedback for each other’s sleeping or cuddling style?</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>[HENRY gives ALEX a sweet smile.]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>HENRY: Please stop kicking the blankets off and leaving your socks in the bed when you get too hot. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>[ALEX lets out an awkward chuckle.]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>ALEX: When you’re having weird dreams, you should just tell me instead of turning on the light and staring off.</p><p> </p><p>HENRY: Does it scare you?</p><p> </p><p>ALEX: No—</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>[HENRY giggles.]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>HENRY: You’re scared of your own husband.</p><p> </p><p>ALEX: I am not!</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>[HENRY giggles again.]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>HENRY: If you agree to my terms, then I’ll agree to yours.</p><p> </p><p>ALEX: Sounds good, sweetheart.</p><p> </p><p>HENRY: It’s a deal, then.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>[The screen cuts to a purple gradient screen with the Cut logo in bold, white letters.]</em>
</p><p> </p><p>HENRY, off screen: You really are a scaredy-cat, aren’t you?</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>[ALEX groans, HENRY giggles, and the video ends.]</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Tumblr: @bi-disaster-fsotus</p></blockquote></div></div>
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